Improvement in artificial flowers



artificial flowers from paper, and is an im- UNITED STAT'ESI PATENTOFFIcn.

CAROLINE SGHWENKEL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPRQVEMENT "IN ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 216,223, dated June 3,1879; application filed March 19, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CAROLINE ScHwnNKEL, of the city, county, and Stateof New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in ArtificialFlowers, which improvement is fully set forth in the followingspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawlngs.

My invention relates to the manufacture of provement upon the process ofpreparing pa-. per and other similar materials for this purpose bycoating the same with wax.

The disadvantage attending the use of wax for coating paper is that,owing to its consistency, it does not readily impregnate the paper whenthe latter is dipped into a bath thereof, and usually collects upon thesurface of the paper in an uneven layer, so that it becomes necessary totreat the paper with a hot iron after immersion, in order to spread thewax and remove the surplus portion. This is objectionable, not only onaccount of the labor involved, but also because the leaves and otherparts of the flower to be formed must be coated or prepared inadismembered state, making it necessary to handle the prepared paper injoining the parts.

To overcome these objections I construct or finish the desired flower,and dip the same, in this state, in a bath of melted stearine,spermaceti, or its equivalent, the consistency of this substance beingsuch that it readily impreguates the paper, while any surplus portionflows therefrom, making it superfluous to treat the paper afterimmersion.

In carrying out my invention, I cut out or form the leaves, petals, andother parts needed to represent the flower which it is desired toproduce from paper of any appropriate or desirable color, and unite theparts in any usual or suitable manner, a wire or other stem being usedto support the parts.

In selecting the paper, reference is had to the thickness of the petalsand other parts of the flower to be represented, tissue-paper being usedin some cases, and in others a heavier class of paper.

When theflower has been completely formed, I dip the same into a bath ofmelted stearine, spermaceti, or its equivalent, holding the same thereinjust long enough to infuse or impre natc the paper therewith, besidesallowing the stearine to penetrate to the depth or base of the flower,whereby the desired coating is applied to the surface of the paper.

A longer or shorter period is required to allow the stearine topenetrate the flower, according to its construction, and in most casesit is necessary to gently shake the flower when it is removed from thebath, to remove the surplus material.

The stearine-bath is formed by placing a sufficient quantity of thissubstance in a pot and heating the same to about 14:0 or 144, so as tomelt the same without allowing it to burn.

By my invention I obtain a flower which has the appearance andsubstantially the physical properties of a wax flower, and which can bemanufactured at an extremely low cost.

I would here {observe that by dipping the completed flower in stearinethe several parts composing the flower are firmly held together inproper position and in a more comely and compact form, thereby impartinga more fixed appearance to the flower, and at the same time moresmoothly and firmly uniting the leaves and petals to the stems, thanwhen the paper is first treated with wax and then made up into flowers.

I am aware that artificial flowers have been made of tissue-paper orother suitable material coated with wax; and, further, that in themanufacture of artificial flowers, sheets of tissue-paper or othermaterial have been coated with a compound of rubber and wax, and tintedin various colors previous to the application of such compound, as inthe Letters Patent to S. Orth, dated March 30, 1875, and such I herebydisclaim. In all such cases the paper or other material has been eithercoated or tinted, and coated with wax previous to bein g made up intothe completed flower, thereby rendering it necessary to handle theleaves and petals after being coated.

The object and functions of dipping the flower in stearine, spermaceti,or its equivalent, after it has been made up into a complete form, havebeen above described, and such is what I desire to protect.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is I Theimproved process herein described of IntestimonythatIclaimtheforegoinglhave making artificial flowers from paper, eonsisthereuntoset my hand and seal this 10th day ing' in first constructing orfinishing the deof March, 1879. sired flower, and then dipping the samein a bath of melted stearine, spermaceti, or its equivalent, therebyimpregnating the paper with such material, and at the same timeimparting a fiXity to' the leaves and petals and more firmly andsmoothly uniting the same to the stems, essentially as set forth.

CAROLINE SGHWENKEL. [L. s.]

Witnesses:

N. 130031, E. F. KASTENHU'BER.

